Fender iron



Jan. 31,1933. w. L. BRQWN 1,895,647

Ma/MMX Patented Jan.` 31, 1933 t,

UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE WILLIAM L. BROWN, or PHILADELPnre,'rennasvrlviuvrA y f rnnnnnffmolv Application led November 11,- 1931.SerialNm 574,31Qi.

the metal of the fender iron is so disposed as to be thicker at thecentral portion of the arch than at the sides of the arch and preferablythe thickened central portion of the arch tapers gradually into thesides. of the arch. Again, preferably, the disposition of the metalshould be such as to form what is in effect an inwardly projecting ribat the center of the arch, with tapered sections eX- tending outwardfrom the rib with diminishing cross section, in which they merge withthe base portions of the arch. This construc- -25 tion imparts to thefender iron qualities of a stitl' beam, as a result of which impactsagainst the fender iron are well distributedV over the surface to whichit is secured, while at the same time the center of the arch againstwhich impacts are most likely to occur is of so massive a constructionas to resist effectually forces tending to dent it in and to deform thefender iron. At the same time the resilient character of the metal whichI preferablyuse in the construction of my fender iron permits a certainamount of deformation in the arch at the moment of impact withoutresulting in a permanent deformation.

By sodistributing the metal in the arch 49 that the thickened centralportion tapers gradually into the upper side portions of the arch, Imaterially strengthen the structure against impact stresses coming in amore or v less lateral direction against it while the eX- ternal archform of the fender tends to guide lCTI any ondtting bodyy the center of.arch and thusftolessenriany'y impact strains' which tend to wrenchthefenderiron away 1 I from the structure to whichitisattached.

lFor some applications't lis advantageous 5d to vprovide a-plurality ofarch shapedlpro; jections constructed as described, which areadvantageously spaced from! each other' by flat portions, adapted torest against the structureto be protectedsand'to serve as a means 55 forsecuring the fender to the structure additional tothe outerflanges. j l

My inventionwill be bettery vunderstood Ias described in connection withthedrawing5in, which .y l n Figure lis a crosssectional view vofya fengder iron embodying my invention., 3

Figures 2-and3are `similar' cross sectional views of modificationsoffthe structure shown in F ig. l, which alsofully embody myinven-Figure t is a ross sectional view,--illustrat' ing a .constructioninwhich a pluralityl of arch shaped yprojections are formed,4 spacedfrom each other by tlat portions-adapted'like 70 i the `lateral flangesto restaga'inst the-structuretobe protected..r 4 y In the drawing-.A, Aindicate outwardly extending edgelflanges adaptedto rest uponan'dflbejattached tothe structureto be pro- 75 tected. B, Fig. 1, Bf",Fig.2, and B3,'Fig. ,3, represent an intermediate 'archfshaped vportionvof the fender iron, which, as shown in the differentviews,has''e'zrteriorlyy the form of a segment of a circularcylinderbutfwhich mayA vary in exterioroutline so long as :au generalarch-shaped contour is maintained. iC, C,etc., indicates a'thickened topportion of the arch, preferablyy forming,ias shown, an inwardlyprojecting rib connected by gradually tapering sectionsD, D,whichmergefinally intothe base' portions E,; E of the arch. The base portionsofthe. side walls Aof thev arch, as indicatedjat' E, E, etc., aremuchthe fender iron is attached. It will also be obvious'that the `mass ofthemetal at the top of the arch adapts the fender ironto resist thetendency of impact strains to indent of the metal inthe upper p'art ofthe arch, as

shown, that' is, sc that the, thickened crown,

of the arch tapers gradually into theV side connected by intermediatetapered sections to the portions of the arch orming its base. 5. Afender iron as called for in claim l, having a plurality of arch-shapedintermedi-V ate portions.

. 6. A fenderironv as called for in claim 1, having .a plurality ofarch-shaped intermedi; ate portions spaced fromeach other by flatportions adapted to lie in contact With thel structure to be protected.

WILLIAMV L. BROWN.

Vor collapse the arch and'that the disposition s.; l

walls,y will impart great Vstrength to resist 1 y.

the tendency of lateral impacts to distort or Y deform the fender iron.l`The arch shape of the portionof the fender ironiwhich'is subjected toimpact blows serves to direct any contacting bodyftoward the. center andstrongest part ofthe arch and `thus to diminish blows tending to Wrenchthe fenderiron from the structure to which it is attached, while theVtapered -cross sectionof the side Walls of the arch'V makes availablethe resilient qualitiesofthe ferrousfalloy, whichV I preferably employ,enabling the archof the fender iron to yield lslightly Vtov deiormingvstrainsfwithout bringing about permanent s deformation.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a construction y in which the fender ironis'formed with two archi-shaped projections, eachsimilar'in'construction to that shown in Fig.1,the arches beingspa'cedby a flat portion A1 adapted to rest against the structure to beprotected and to serve as do the flanges A, A as a means of securing thefender iron to the structure.

' Having now described myinvention, what -I claim as new and desire tosecure" by Letters Patent,is:

'IL'A fender iron of a bendable ferrous'aln loy having lateral flangesadapted to'contact with the structure to be protected, andV an4intermediate arch-shaped portion"extending from end to end V`of the'fenderiron and-Which in cross sectionV is thicker at the top of thearch than at the lateralA sides connecting the upper portion of the`arch with the vlateral flanges of the fender iron. i

2. A fender iron as called for in claimll,

lwhih lha fenderjironis made upy of a re- Y silient ferrous alloy. f

3. A fender iron as called for in'claim 1,

in which the thickened central portion of the arch`- ltapers Vgraduallyin thickness as ity merges into the side walls of the arch.

Vin which the metal forming the lupper?V p0rtion of the'arch is sodisposed as toform Aan inwardly proj ectingrb .at the top of the arch f,4. A fenderiron as called V:tor in clairnrl, Y

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